Method of protecting documents



J. W. JONES.

METHOD OF PROTECTING DOCUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1917.

1,374,208. at ted Apr- 12, 1921.

ELRENQOKLA M iw.

I A. B. c. BANK 5%? $2M lluhcninr admin cfones UNITED STATES JOHN WILLIAM JONES, OF EL RENO, OKLAHOMA.

METHOD OF PROTECTING DOCUMENTS.

Application filed March 7,

To all to from it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN \VILLIAH J ONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Reno, in the county of Canadian and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Protecting Documents; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a method of protecting and identifying documents, and particularly it relates to a method whereby an impression of a portion of the skin of a party is applied to various documents, papers and other instruments to be protected against fraud, and itis a particular object of the present invention to provide a simple, practicable and reliable method and means for affording the necessary identification of documents by skin marks of individuals. A further object of the present invention is to provide a method whereby a skin impression may be made upon an actinic surface to be utilized in association with a paper or other instrument upon which the signer may place his name or mark so that fraud, or error, or repudiation of the signature may be eliminated.

It is another object of the present inven tion to provide a method for the protection and identification of documents of various types whereby a sensitized surface either formed immediately upon the sheet or document upon which the signature may be placed or a stamp or sticker having a sensitized surface adapted thereto .is utilized to receive an impression from a portion of the skin of the signer, which impression 1s made visible by the action of light on the sensitized surface.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

1917. Serial No. 153,154.

a gumnied surface on oneside and a photo-- graphically sensitized surface on the other, this latter being covered with a shield or guard to prevent access of light rays to the sensitive surface until the latter is to be used to receive the impress of a finger mark or an impression from any other portion of the skin.

My invention consists in utilizing, in assoclation with the surface of the document to be protected, an actinic means for receiving an lmpression from a portion of the finger or thumb or other area of the skin, as may be desired, of the party to the document, so that the identification of the party making the same may be facilitated by a comparison of the peculiar skin impression upon the sensitized surface with that of the party claiming to have made it. I This invention lends itself of valuable use in a number of ways, and may be, for instance, utilized in the protection of checks, drafts, bonds, wills, application papers of various types, especially for employment service letters, identification cards for banks, mortgages and deeds, letters of credit, travelers checks, and, indeed, in innumerable other instances where the party executin the document is to be properly and posltively identified. Therefore I do not desire to be limited to the adoption of my method of protecting a document either to the check shown in the accompanying drawings or to any other document, as obviously it may be used, as before stated, in association with documents generally.

In practising my method, the surface of the document to be protected is provided over a suitable area with a medium rendering the surface sensitive to receive an impression from a finger or thumb or other portion of the skin of the signer, or if desired the sensitized surface may be provided upon a sticker or stamp as shown in Fig. 2 which is gummed on one side to he adhesively applied to the surface of the document and which is provided on its upper or exposed surface with a sensitive medium to receive a skin impression.

In Fig. 1 there is illustrated a check 2 of ordinary form, the surface of the instrument being provided at a suitable portion, for instance in one corner, with an area which is rendered sensitive by a suitable solution or coating, such for instance as a silver solution of one of the many types commonly utilized in photographic preparations, and which is indicated as at a.

In practice the drawer of the check or document to be protected and identified by the impression method herein proposed, at the time of applying his signature as indicated at 3, may slightly moisten his finger or thumb or other area of skin to be imprinted upon the sensitized area 4, and by applying the skin thereto with sufficient pressure, an imprint is imparted to the sensitizedarea at 4, and when the finger is removed and the check, paper, or otherdocument bearing the impression is exposed to theJight for a few moments the sensitive material or sensitized area of the sheet develops under the action of the actinic rays and there appears a figure delineated by the lines of that portion of the hand or skin of the signer which is applied to the sensitive area 4. I prefer to utilize such a sensitive surface as will'require no further development or photographic treatment or process than the mere impression of the skin of the signer to the-sensitized area to thereby impress the linesfrom the skinto the surface, and thereafter simply expose the impressed surface to the light to secure development. I do not desire to be limited to any peculiar formula ofsolution for securing this photographic surface, and it is understood that I may utilize therefor a variety of mediums which will secure the desired effect, and which are well known in the photographic and allied arts.

Any appropriate actinic emulsion may be utilized in the practice of my method but I prefer one which is inexpensive, and also is self developing and needs no fixing such as the common silver chlorid or silver bromid gelatin emulsions.

As above indicated, instead of forming the sensitized area 4: immediately upon the surface which is adapted to receive the signature of the signer, I may use instead a stamp 10 having one side gummed' so that it may be adhesively applied to the document signed by the signer, and havingon its upper surface a sensitized area 11 to receive a skin impression. V I

For preserving the light sensitive area from exposure before used to receive the impress of the skin of a finger or thumb of the signer of an instrument, it is desired that this area be protected from actinic rays, and

for that purpose the area maybe covered by guard or shield is torn off, thus exposing-thesensitized area, and the finger is immediately impressed thereon, and thereafter the document is exposed to the light so that the surface is developed by the light rays.

In Fig. l the guard or cover portion for the sensitized surface has been removedand the latter surface is shown as having received an'impression 5 from a finger ofthe signer of the instrument.

The security of this method and theefficiency of this device in the protection of documents or papers adapted to receive signatures is readily understood by reason of the fact that no two individuals fingers bear the same characteristic lines, and'therefore when an impression of a finger of a drawer of a paper is applied to the sensitized surface and this latter is developed, it will be impossible for any other person to simulate the protecting finger imprint for purposes of fraud.

It is to be understood that any suitable surface so treated or processed overapart of its area as to receive an impression from the finger or a portion of the area of the skin of the party to a document, and which may be developed by actinic rays of any type, or which maybe caused to appear'by such sensitized area to light to make such skin impression visible.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence 'of two witnesses JOHN WILLIAM JONES.

Witnesses MAUDE GARRETT, ANNA PATTERSON. 

